One of the hardest things to do when roleplaying is push a plot forward in a way that is both believable and entertaining, particularly if a story has been ongoing for quite some time. More often than not, it becomes difficult to keep churning out posts that further the story in some substantive way. We've all seen this happen; roleplays begin to repeat storylines, posts grow increasingly shorter until there are pages filled with one-liners and repetitive dialogue, etc. While these things can happen to anyone, a big part of ensuring that you are able to craft and push forward new and exciting plots is practice.

TASKIn the spirit of practicing, below you will find three different roleplaying posts. Your task is to write a different response to each post using at least 100 words per response. It is entirely up to you what character you use for each response; so long as you don't contradict the details provided in each sample post, you also have complete creative liberty regarding the setting in which each roleplay takes place. The only catch here is that your responses should attempt to push the plot of each roleplay forward in some way.

Feeling a bit rusty with your plot development skills? You're in luck! The Teaching Center has a useful plot development guide that you can refer to for help with this task.

Roleplay #1 Post:

Calvin looked down at his hands and was surprised to see that they were trembling. His red backpack rested between his legs, and he was acutely aware of the coarse fabric scratching against the insides of his exposed calves. It had been a long day at school, and now the bus seemed determined to jostle his abdomen until it regurgitated its contents all over the upholstered leather seats. Just hold it together, Cal. It would be so embarrassing to throw up on your first day of middle school.

"I could really use a distraction right now..." Calvin whispered, his voice halfway between a plea and a whimper. Leaning forward, he placed his forehead against the cool, glass window, hoping against hope that someone or something would come to his rescue.

Roleplay #2 Post:

Jump City had been unusually quiet since Raven had vanquished her demonic father, Trigon. It was as if the city’s energy had reshaped itself to mirror her soul-self; calm, weightless, devoid of the underlying rage that had always lain in wait. In a way, killing her father had helped Raven to grow into herself. She was still distant and hesitant to trust newcomers, but her fiery temper had largely abated. Things, for the first time in her life, were conflict free.

Until today. Raven’s senses were on fire, every neuron buzzing with stimulation. It felt as if her grey skin was vibrating, writhing and dislocating like a serpent trying to shed its outer layers.

“What the hell is going on!?” she screamed at the mass of people bustling along on their way to work. Normally she was adept at picking emotional impressions off of other beings, but today her psychic antennae were too crossed to afford her any clarity. The crowds' emotions were a jumbled and somehow amplified mess, all melding together and crashing against Raven in an incomprehensible wave of images and feelings. I don't understand.

"Someone had better tell me what is happening RIGHT NOW."

Roleplay #3 Post:

Maggie Brant strode across the stone amphitheater, her combat boots crunching loudly against the fitted tiles. Though the sky was blacker than squid ink, the ancient stadium was still mostly visible; lanterns floated above the vast space and painted everything within reach with a pale golden light. A row of oak trees ringed the arena, the edges of their massive branches just inching into the light. Walking briskly onto the raised stage, Maggie was wary of the thick shadows that blanketed the first few rows of the stadium.

"Hello?" she called, voice uncertain. "I got your note, whoever you are. Why did you ask me to meet you here?" Maggie's voice quickly faded into the night, leaving behind an almost tangible silence in its wake. Twining her fingers around one another, she braced herself for any sounds or sudden movements; as if in tune with her nervous energy, tiny indigo sparks jumped from her fingertips and danced across her palms. At least I'm not completely helpless.

RULES1. All HEX and RPC Teaching Center rules apply.
2. All entries should be posted in this hidden replies thread.
3. To be considered for prizes, you must respond to each of the above roleplay posts using at least 100 words per response. A word count is helpful but not required. Your posts should attempt to push the plot in each roleplay forward in some way.
4. All work must be your own work.
5. Winners will be randomized from all eligible entries.
6. All entries are due by June 30th at 11:59 PM HEX time.
7. If you have any questions, please post in this thread or owl Cody.

Thank you all for your lovely and creative participation in June's RP 101 Event! I greatly enjoyed reading your responses to our prompts. Below is the complete ticket list for this event; you will have 24 hours from the time of this post to review the list before we draw winners.